Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Bauchi to strike out the petition filed against its governor-elect, Bala Mohammed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), candidate in the March 18, 2023 election, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (rtd) due to what is called lack of merit and incompetent.
Speaking to the press after the tribunal free-hearing section in Bauchi yesterday, counsel to PDP and its governor-elect, Barr Chris Uche, said they would bring a second motion for the tribunal to strike out the APC petition.
Uche said, “This petition should be dismissed because it is lacking in merit, it is incompetent. Then we are bringing a second motion to strike out their plan. Those are the things we are coming back to do on the 31st May, 2023.”
He added, “We have looked at all the results and compared everything, and we can boldly say that it is an election well conducted. So, we are happy to say that all our documents and witnesses would be available before the tribunal.”
The counsel further stated, “The tribunal has judiciously allocated time for all these matters. So we are coming back on 31st May, 2023 for continuation and completion of the pre-hearing, and then we go into the actual hearing”.
He concluded, “The petitioners say they need four weeks, we just took 10 days to defend, so we wait for them, we are very ready for them”.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), counsel to the tribunal, Mohammed Ndako, while speaking to journalists said, “We will call our witnesses, but it’s now time for a break.
“We need to call our witnesses, the petitioners say they will take four weeks, the buck is on their shoulders because they brought us here, that is the much I can tell you”.
Both parties also agreed that the re- examination of ordinary witnesses would be given five minutes, while the star witness would be granted 15 minutes for questioning by the respondents.
The chairman of the three-man panel, Justice P.T. Kwahar adjourned the proceeding to Wednesday, May 31, 2023 for continued free-hearing of the petition challenging the victory of Governor Bala.
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